Excavating or hoisting apparatus.



J. L. POTTER.

EXGAVATING OB. HOISTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION mum MAY 24, 1909.

942,21 6. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES- INVENTOR:

- ATTORNEY.

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J. L. POTTER.

EXGAVATING 0R HOISTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1909.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' ATTORNEY.

W1 TNESSES: 4

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UNITED STATES PALTENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH L. POTTER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

EXCAVATING OR HOISTING APPARATUS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. POTTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating or Hoisting Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon. which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to portable machin ery or apparatus for excavating and especially for digging and filling trenches or ditches, in makin sewer excavations, or for hoisting and conveying, the invention having reference particularly to movable apparatus whereby trenches may be dug and then filled with the earth removed in excavating with but one handling of the earth.

The objects of the invention are to provide improved movable apparatus that will be adapted to operate on relatively small ground area and particularly be adapted to operate partially above the excavation so that the operations may be performed quickly and therefore economically, a particular object being to provide simple and efiicient means for guiding a hoisting cable and bucket or other lifting device to various positions conveniently and expeditiously, in order that the earth may be elevated as directly as may be possible from the trench to a conveying car; a further object being to provide improved excavating apparatus that will be adapted to be used also for lowering material into the trenches as when construct ing sewers, and for hoisting material.

\Vith the above mentioned and minor objects in view the invention consists in appa ratus comprising a ground track, a trestle mounted on the track and having a track thereon, the head or terminal end of the trestle being provided with an upright frame serving as a mast and having one or more guide-sheaves thereon, a car mounted on the ground track and having a hoisting engine thereon including one or more windingdrums, coupling bars connected detachably to the head end of the trestle and to the car, a cable-guide comprising an arm or arms hinged to the head end of the trestle and adapted to swing up or down in a vertical plane and having a guide-sheave thereon, a cable connected to one of the winding-drums Specification of Letters Patent.

App1icati0n filed May 24, 1909.

Patented Dec. '7, 1909.

Serial No. 497,875.

of the engine and extending over the guide sheave with which the upright frame is provided and over the guide-sheave of the cable guide and having a lifting device connected to its end and guides for the cable mounted on the car; the invention consisting further in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter particularly described and then defined in the accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional elevation of the apparatus as when excavating for a sewer and showin a conveying car in position to be loaded, and a shoveling bucket hoisted into proper position to be emptied into the car, broken lines indicating the rela tive positions of the hoisting cable and its guide with the shoveling or scoop-bucket in operative position in the trench; Fig. 2, a fragmentary sectional view of one of the winding-drum and showing the manner of winding the cable for controlling the hoisting cable guide; Fig. 8, a top plan of the apparatus with the cable guide and bucket in positions similar to those indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1; Fig. a, a vertical transverse sectional view approximately at the plane of the line A A in Fig. 1 with the cable-guide in prone position and the cables omitted; Fig. 5, a fragmentary elevation showing a modification in the arrangement of the guide sheaves on the upright frame; Fig. 6, a fragmentary elevation showing a modification in the arrangement of guidesheaves on the car; and Fig. 7, a fragmentary sectional view on the line B B in Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters in the different figures of the drawings indicate like parts or features of construction,

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a section of the earth in which is a trench 2 at the sides of which sheathing 3 is employed to prevent the earth from caving in, the numeral 4: indicating sewer pipe laid in the bottom of the trench and partially covered.

In the use of the apparatus stringers 5 and 6 are laid on the surface of the ground at opposite sides of the plane at which the trench is to be made, the stringers supporting a pair of track-rails 7 and 8. A suitable car 9 is provided having a suitable hoisting engine 10 mounted thereon and provided with flanged wheels 11, 11', 12, 12, supporting the car on the rails so that the car may be moved along the rails as occasion may require, the engine having a hoisting drum 13, and preferably also a hoisting drum 14, connected therewith, of any suitable construction permitting the hoisting drums to rotate freely on their supporting shafts as usual, well known apparatus of this character being providedwith levers and 16 whereby the hoisting-drums severally may be clutched so as to be rotated by their shafts, and requiring no description in detail. The car should be of ample length for convenience in operating the engine and winding-drums, and on the rear end of the car an upright frame is erected preferably comprising two. posts 17 and 18 on the top of which a beam 19 is mounted, the posts being provided with suitable braces 20 and 21 for maintaining them in upright position. Two guide-sheaves 22 and 23 are suitably mounted on the beam 19, either at different elevations as shown in Fig. 1 for clearness of illustration, or side by side on a common axis as illustrated in Fig. 6. Another guide-sheave 2a is suitably mounted on the car at the rear end thereof and rearward and somewhat lower than the winding-drum 1-l-. Two of the sills of the car 25 and 26 preferably project rearward somewhat beyond the body of the car.

A movable trestle in part comprises sills 27 and 28 supported by flanged wheels 29, 29, 30, 30, which normally rest on the track-rails and may roll thereon to move the trestle. The head end of the trestle only is illustrated as being sufficient to an understanding of the invention and obviously may be extended to any desired extent in length. An upright frame is erected on the head end of the trestle and may suitably comprise a pair of posts 31 and 32 erected on the sills 27 and 28, the posts extending upward a suitable distance and having beams 33 and 33 attached to their upper portions, the higher parts of the frame preferably being of relatively light weight construction and comprising relatively smaller posts 34- and 34' attached to the beams and extending upward to a suitable height and having a beam 35, and if desired also a beam 35 attached thereto on which are mounted two guidesheaves 36 and 37. A pair of cross-beams 38 and 39 are attached to the lower portions of the posts 31 and 32, one above the other so as to form parts of the head end of the trestle and the upright frame, and a suitable number of transverse beams 40 are attached to the sills 27 and 28, the sills supporting a suitable number of posts 11 on which cap beams 42 are mounted. Stay-rods -13 and 43 extend from the cap-beam 42 up to the upper portion of the upright frame preferably to the beam 33, and other braces lt and 44- extend from the beam 40 up to the beam 39, braces 45 and 15 extending from the beam 39 to the beam 42, and braces H3 extend from the beam 38 to the cap-beam L2, and it is obvious that the trestle may be variously constructed and braced in detail.

Preferably angle braces 47 and 1-7 are attached to the posts 31 and 32 respectively, and to the beam 39. A pair of stringers as and 1-9 are mounted on the cap-beams 42 of the trestle and extend onto the beam 39 and to a suitable distance forward beyond it, a pair of track rails 50 and 51 being mounted upon the stringers, the forward or head ends of the stringers having stop-blocks and 52 attached thereto for stopping the cars at the proper position to be loaded. A pair of angle braces and 53 extend from the beam 38 up to the forward ends of the stringers. A car 5-1- provided with flanged wheels and a drop bottom 56 is mounted so as to travel on the rails 50 and 51 and through the upright frame to the stop-blocks at the forward end of the track so that the car may be either loaded or unloaded forward of the upright frame and may travel rearward to the end of the trestle to be either unloaded or loaded as occasion may require. A pair of coupling-bars 57 and, 58 are detachably connected to the car sills and 26 respectively and also to the sills 27 and 28 respectively, of the movable trestle, so that as the work proceeds, the whole a pparatus being connected together may be moved forward together conveniently and expeditiously; and obviously the ditlerent parts may be readily disconnected for shipment when the work is completed.

In order that the work may be carried on in relatively small space, especially so that the earth may be shoveled and lifted from a trench nearly below the loading station of the car a swinging cable-guide is provided and hinged to the head end of the trestle in any suitable manner, and the guide may be variously constructed so as to guide the cable in a substantially vertical plane and permit the cable to run at various angles. As preferably constructed a pair of boxes 59 and 59 are secured to the posts 31 and 32 and support a hinge rod (30 to which two poles 1 and 62 are connected each at an end thereof, the opposite ends of the poles having a crossbeam (33 attached thereto and ')rovided with angle braces 6-il and (31% extending from the beam to the poles, the beam having a guidesheave (35 mounted thereon and preferably having also a plate (36 secured thereto having two eyes 67 and 68 formed thereon. The poles may swing down and rest on the coupling-bars 57 and 58 or may be moved upward pivotally to approximately upright position, and obviously may be held at any intermediate position. A hoisting cable (39 is attached in the usual manner to the winding-drum 13 and extends upward and over the guide-sheave 22, thence about the guidesheave 3G and thence about the guide-sheave 65. A shoveling-bucket has a bail 71 which is connected to the end of the hoisting-cable (39, the bucket having a drop-bottom 72 connected thereto by a hinge 7 3 and normally held in closed position by a latch 74. A bucket is suitable for some operations, and it is obvious that other lifting devices or apparatus commonly employed may be substituted for the bucket. By reference to F 1 it will be seen that when the cable 69 draws the bail 71 up to the guide-sheave 65 the bucket and the poles may be drawn up, because the bail is incapable of passing beyond the guide-sheave and serves to connect the end of the cable practically to the beam 63, and if the poles stand. at an inclination it is clear that they will swing down by gravity and may be let down easily by gradually slackening the cable 69 and letting it run off of its winding-drum in the usual manner.

In some cases it is desirable to positively control the movement of the cable-guide, in which case a controlling-cable 75 is wound a few times about the hoisting-drum 14, but is not attached thereto, the friction of the coils around the drum when the cable is tight being suflicient to move the cable, and one end of the cable is carried over the guide sheaves 23 and about the guide sheaves 37, and the end 76 of the cable is connected in any suitable manner to the beam 63, preferably to the eye 67, the other end of the cable being carried under the guide sheave 24 and the end 77 connected also to the beam 63 preferably to the eye 68, as illustrated in Fig. 7, the cable 7 5 being stretched tightly, so that when the windingdrum lt is turned in one direction one end of the cable will be wound and the other end part unwound, and vice versa when the drum is reversed in direction of motion, so that as will be apparent the cable-guide comprising the poles 61 and 62 may be positively moved on its pivot and controlled and stopped at any desired position between the upright and prone positions, the hoisting cable, of course, being either wound or unwound as may be necessary during the movements of the cableguide.

In practical use, the car 5% may be moved on its track by any suitable means, and when the cable guide is upright it will be apparent that the car may pass through it or between the poles comprising the main parts thereof to the head end of the track. In shoveling in a trench, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1, the cable-guide is in prone position and serves temporarily as a deadman so that the cable may extend therefrom at. an inclined angle down into the trench from which the earth may be drawn at an inclined angle until the bail arrives at the guide-sl awe (35, after which the cableguide will be drawn upward with the load to the position required above the conveying car into which the load may be dumped or discharged. In some cases the angle of operation may be such that it may be desirable to employ the controlling cable 75 for preventing the cable-guide from rising before it is elevated by the bucket-bail coming in contact therewith; and also by the use of the controlling cable 75, the cable-guide may be moved upward to any desired distance during shoveling operations to enable the workmen to scoop up the earth at any de sired angle, and by means of the controlling cable it will be clear thatthe cable-guide may be stopped and held at any intermediate position, so that loads may be either lifted or lowered close to the head end of the trestle, or between the projecting stringers thereof when the car is moved out of the way.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. Hoisting apparatus including a trestle having an upright frame, a winding-drum mounted beyond the end of the trestle, a track on the trestle, a cable connected to the winding-drum, a lifting device connected to the cable, and means cooperating with the upright frame and the cable for guiding the lifting device toward the winding-drum and thence to a position above the track.

2. Excavating or hoisting apparatus including an upright frame, a guide-shiaive on the frame, a cable-guide pivotally supported in proximity to the upright frame to swing upward toward the frame or downward therefrom, a car track extending through the upright frame and also through the cable-guide when the latter is swung upward near to the frame, a cable extending over the guide-sheave to the cable-guide, and a hoisting cable connected. with the cable-guide to be guided thereby to different positions.

3. Excavating or hoisting apparatus including an upright frame, a guide-sheave on the frame, a winding-drum suitably supported, a cable-guide pivotally supported in proximity to the upright frame to swing upward toward the frame or downward from the frame and having a guide-sheave thereon, a car-track extending through the upright frame and also through the cableguide when the latter is swung upward near to the frame, a hoisting cable connected to the winding-drum and extending over the guide-sheaves, and a lifting device connected to the cable.

4. Excavating or hoisting apparatus including an upright frame, a guide-sheave on the frame, a winding-drum mounted opposite the upright frame, a cable-guide pivotally supported in proximity to the upright frame to swing forward toward the winding-drum or upward toward the upright frame and having a guide-sheave thereon, a car-track extending beyond the upright frame toward the winding-drum and also in the opposite direction, a hoistingcable connected to the winding-drum and extending through the guide-sheaves, and a lifting device connected to the cable and adapted to engage the cable-guide to move the cableguide upward.

5. Hoisting apparatus including a trestle having an upright frame at an end thereof, a guide-sheave mounted on the upright frame, a winding-drum mounted beyond the end of the trestle, a track on the trestle extending under the guide-sheave and toward the winding-drum, a cable connected to the winding-drum and extending over the guide sheave, a cable guiding means mounted to move approximately between the winding-drum and the guide-sheave and having operative connection with the cable to be moved thereby, and a lifting device having operative connection with the cableguiding means to be guided thereby from a position relatively near to the winding-drum to a position relatively near to the guidesheave above the track.

6. Excavating or hoisting apparatus including a trestle having an upright frame at an end thereof, a guide-sheave mounted on the upright frame, a winding-drum mounted beyond the end of the trestle, a track on the trestle extending through and beyond the upright frame to provide a loading station, a car on the track mo able through the upright frame to the loading station, a cable guide hinged at the end of the trestle and having a guide-sheave thereon to be carried thereby over and beyond the loading station, a hoisting cable connected to the winding drum and extending over the guide sheaves, and a lifting device connected to the cable and adapted to engage the cable-guide to move the cable-guide upward.

7. Excavating and hoisting apparatus including a ground-track, a terminating trestle and an engine-car mounted movably on the ground-track, two coupling-bars connected detachably to the trestle and also to the engine-car, track-rails mounted on the trestle and extending beyond the terminal end thereof to provide a loading station, an upright frame on the trestle extending over the track-rails, a guide-sheave mounted on the frame, a cable-guide comprising two poles hinged to the terminal end of the trestle at opposite sides of the traclcrails and a beam attached to the poles, a conveying-car mounted on the track-rails and mo able through the upright frame, a guide-sheave mounted on the beam of the cable-guide, a winding-drum mounted on the engine-car, a, hoisting cable connected to the windingdrum and extending over the guidesheaves, and a lifting device connected to the cable to be guided to different positions by the cable-guide past the loading station or under or over the loading station.

8. Exzavating or hoisting apparatus including a ground-track, a trestle having a terminal end and mounted movably on the ground-track, an engine-car mounted movably on the ground-track opposite to the end of the trestle, a hoisting-engine having two winding-drums and mounted on the enginecar, an upright guide-frame on the enginecar and having two guide-sheaves thereon, a guide-sheave on the engine-car near the foot of the upright frame, two coupling-bars connected detachably to the engine-car and also to the end of the trestle, a car-track on the trestle and extending beyond the terminal end thereof, an upright f'ame-mast on the end of the trestle and extending above the car-track, two guide-sheaves on the frame-mast, a cable-guide hinged to the terminal end of the trestle and having a guidesheave thereon to be carried thereby above the extension of the car-track or down near to the engine-car, a conveying-car on the cartrack and movable through the frame-mast to the extension of the car-track, a hoisting cable connected to one of the winding-drun'is and extending over one of the guide-sheaves of the guide-frame and over one of the guide-sheaves of the frame-mast and the guide-sheave of the cable-guide and having a lifting-device thereon, and a controllingcable coiled on the other one of the windingdrums and having one end thereof extending over the other one of the guide-sheaves of the guide-frame and over the other one of the guide-sheaves of the frame-mast and secured to the cable-guide, the other end of the controlling-cable extending under the guidesheave that is on the engine-car and secured also to the cable-guide.

9. Hoisting apparatus including a groundtrack, a terminating trestle mounted movably on the ground-track, an engine-car, means for holding the engine-car opposite to and apart from the end of the trestle, trackrails on the trestle, an upright frame on the trestle extending over the track-rails, a guide-sheave mounted on the frame, a winding-drum mounted on the engine-car, movable cable-guiding means, means for supporting and guiding the cable-guiding means approximately between the engine-car and the guide-sheave, a cable having two end portions thereof connected substantially to the cable-guiding means and other portions thereof wound about the winding-drum, the cable extending over the guide-sheave to move the cable-guiding means, a lifting device, and a hoisting cable connected to the lifting device and cooperating with the cable-guiding means for operating the lifting device and to guide the lifting device from a position relatively near to the engine-car to a position relatively near to the guide-' sheave above the track-rails.

10. Excavating or hoisting apparatus including a ground-track, a terminating trestle and an engine-car mounted movably on the ground-track, means for holding the enginecar apart from the end of the trestle, trackrails on the trestle, an upright frame on the trestle extending over the track-rails, a guide-shem'e mounted on the upper portion of the frame, a winding-drum mounted on the engine-car, a shoveling-bucket, a cable connected to the winding-drum and extending over the guidesheave, movable cable guiding means operatively connected with the cable to be moved thereby, means for supporting and guiding the cable-guiding means in an arbitrary path approximately between the engine car and a position above the plane of the track-rails, and flexible means cooperating with the cable-guiding means for drawing the shoveling bucket from below the plane of the ground-track toward the cable-guiding means to be guided thereby to a position above the plane of the track-rails.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH L. POTTER.

Witnesses HARRY D. PIEnsoN, E. T. SILVIUS. 

